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Dave w

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Posts posted by Dave w

    DIY Spa Heating Control

    in Push the Envelope

    Posted

    Thanks! that's a big help.  I cannot find that driver anywhere though.  Yatun doesn't have them on their site any longer and HopSoft only has Mobus drivers, etc... not the single thermostat.  Any idea where I can get it?

    DIY Spa Heating Control

    in Push the Envelope

    Posted

    Let me know if you think this plan will work:

    Background: I recently built a wooden hot tub.  Its heated using a navien tankless combi-boiler through a heat exchanger to the tub jet plumbing.  I need to control the system so that the heater and pool pump turn on when tub temp drops below X and off above x.   A simple thermostat should do this no problem, but I have struggled to find 24v wireless ones with set temps on the 100-105 F range. I have an Apollo one that looked promising but its a headache and now I can't find the c4 driver for it that they said they had.   

    New Plan: Z2IO with external temp probe in the tub the 2 CC switches to the pump relay and heater control board.  Program variable with custom button to choose set temp from list of four temp options (50, 80, 95, and 103 degrees). 

    Programing: 1. When temp is 3 deg less than var turn on pump and heater.  2. when temp is 1 deg greater than var shut off pump and heater.

    The 4 degree buffer should help prevent short cycling on the pumps. 

    Anything I am missing or suggestions for better options?

     tia

    dave

    Apollo Fan Coil Thermostat Driver

    in General Control4 Discussion

    Posted

    Does anybody know of a driver for an Apollo Fan Coil Thermostat, aka MBTEK, Breeze or Beijing Brade Controls Tech Co., Ltd. MC6 Thermostat?   They shows C4 logo on their marketing materials. but now that I have it installed and running a boiler loop for my hot tub, nobody seems to know anything about a driver. I have reached out to all the the above...

     

    https://apolloheatpumps.com/products/wifi-fan-coil-thermostat

     

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    Generac Generator Control4 driver ???

    in General Control4 Discussion

    Posted

    On 11/23/2021 at 6:29 AM, RAV said:

    FYI - Span is an app controlled breaker panel, intended to on the fly change circuits between critical, nice, not needed, $6K+.

    It is $3.5k per panel.   Its also a lot more than an app controlled breaker panel.  It has a lot of functionality built into it for solar and generators that a traditional panel does not. This includes not only relays, but the ability to map circuits to supply channels so you can dictate which circuits are powered by the generator and which are not and use the dashboards to monitor total loads, etc.  

    DSC Alarm Integration issue

    in General Control4 Discussion

    Posted

    I recently upgraded my DCS Power Neo alarm panel from the 3G Communication card TL2603GR to the 4G/LTE one TL280LER and set it up the exact same way.  Its works fine but intermittently drops the connection to C4.  It seems liek a port issue from the log files: 

    2021-11-20 17:53:51.247 -0800 ea3-000FFF95C44C [4156] ERROR: handleError(): Error reading from stream: [192.168.1.100:3071]: Connection reset by peer
    2021-11-20 17:53:51.261 -0800 ea3-000FFF95C44C [4156] ERROR: Detected an attempt to bind a connection to the same port currently bound to a device server [rejected id: 912][rejected name: DSC TL-280 Board [Serial/IP][DW]][rejected port: 3072][server id: 912][server name: DSC TL-280 Board [Serial/IP][DW]][server port: 3072] 

    Except the server ID and the rejected IS show the same device. Which seems to say the DSC panel is holding the port and not letting C4 back on.  I search all the DSC programming and nothing else is using this port.  I have also tried other ports for the setting and same issue or they don't ever connect.   Any thoughts from the gang on what te issue might be and how to resolve???  

    Right to Repair

    in General Control4 Discussion

    Posted

    On 10/17/2021 at 3:30 PM, Dunamivora said:

    The recent legislation in that regard is pushing manufacturers to implement autoupdate so consumers and installers do not have to manually update.

    And every time that happen on one of my devices I need to call my C4 dealer and pay them to fix the broken driver I can't access.....

     

    On 10/19/2021 at 7:16 AM, mujtaba.khokhar said:

    Aslo, sorry if i offended anyone you're not morons. i was just giving my perspective at the end of the day I run a Home Automation company, if laws came in to prevent me from stopping doing my job id be screwed.

    The laws will never prevent you from doing your job.  I can wire my own house, that doesn't mean people don't still hire electricians to help them.  Being able to do things is not the same as wanting to or being capable of doing them.  If you are good at your job there will always be demand.   

    C4 could solve all of this by following the Lutron model and opening up level 1 training to customers that are so inclined to go through it (a very small percentage of customers, btw) and learn how to do basic tasks like dragging and dropping a driver and configuring bindings.   

    Really Cool-looking hi-fi speakers?

    in General Control4 Discussion

    Posted

    Its really hard to find good artistic speakers in the price range he is looking because its expensive to get good sound out of them vs conventional drivers and boxes.  He might want to look at some midrange horn speakers like from Avantgarde Acoustics or similar.  These are inline style wise but over budget: 

    https://www.avantgarde-acoustic.de/en/products/trio-series/trio-classico-xd.html

    But they have a whole range of horn speakers that have multiple configurations and colors.  Thire low end sets are mix of conventional and artistic but may be in his range: 

    https://www.avantgarde-acoustic.de/en/products/uno-series/uno-fino-edition.html

    also look at: 

    https://www.axjet.co/

    http://horns.pl/en/speaker-sets/

    https://www.hora-audio.jp/coco.html

     

     

    MyQ DriverCentral driver now completely dead?

    in General Control4 Discussion

    Posted

    On 8/30/2021 at 8:04 PM, eggzlot said:

    yeah no idea how lutron works with MyQ and the pros/cons associated with it.  the good part about going with the Z2ios is there are no hubs, no hops, etc.  all zigbee/control4 so its snappy and just works.

    Lutron works pretty much the same way but uses a different radio frequency (Clear Connect) and is not mesh.   Their garage door access controller is similar to a Z2io, but has 4 cc outputs,  and several inputs, and will then show each door on my system as open/closed just as a light will show as on/off.  Same process to solder the CC outputs to a remote control board. No API support either. 

    MyQ DriverCentral driver now completely dead?

    in General Control4 Discussion

    Posted

    26 minutes ago, eggzlot said:

    What do you plan on doing for sensors?  Wireless or wired?  NYCE Tilt sensors are zigbee so in that case you’ll just need a Z2IO for the relay (can be 2 relays) and you are done and dont have to use what you have free on the EA3.  If you want to wire the sensors then see above with various hardware options

    yes, NYCE sensors x3.   But I also need 3 relays for 3 doors.  So two Z2ios....which is getting expensive.  I may just go the Lutron route with a single visor control instead since lighting is a all RA2. 

    Connecting DSC alarm panel to C4- TL280(R)E or TL280LE(R)-AT?

    in General Control4 Discussion

    Posted

    4 hours ago, DAVIDN said:

    C4 integrator spec'ed this DSC TL280(R)E Internet Alarm communicator and had me call my alarm installer to have it installed.  They also do C4 and advised against it:

    • The DSC NEO can have 1 communicator connected. The TL280RE is an internet only communicator with the RS232 so it can “talk” to the C4.

    The TL280(R)E can communicate through both serial (R) and IP/ethernet (E). You can use serial for C4 and IP for the alarm monitoring station.  However its good practice to have dual path monitoring with IP and Cellular.  The TL280(R)-AT adds cellular.  But omits IP.   The LER-AT has all 3.  

     

    • With the NEO panel you can remote access it through 1 remote app. Either alarm.com or C4.

    That is correct.  You cannot have both (and don't need both)

    • We typically install the TL280LER-AT when we are setting up an AV system we installed. This allows the RS232 communication and cellular communication to TBI (No alarm.com)

    That is also correct.

    • One of the other issues, that has happened several times, is we are not able to work on or program the C4 and your integrator cannot work on or program the DSC Neo. If there are issues with the programming we end up at a standstill. Basically 2 companies saying the other doesn’t know what they are doing. Unfortunate but happens.

    This is BS.  If the alarm system is set up properly and functioning then any competent C4 integrator can then integrate and debug any issues.  

    • We are ok coming out to work to get your system integrated but wanted you to be aware of the issues we’ve seen doing this. If you agree to have us set up our end with DSC and something with the C4 isn’t working and it cannot be resolved by the 2 companies we still have to charge our service charges.

    Again, just have them get the alarm set up and running properly and they can then walk away. 

    I guess he's saying I need the TL280LE(R)-AT?  BS or legit?  My integrator hasn't yet responded, so I thought I'd ping the experts here..  

     

    Jandy iAqualink Driver Issues

    in General Control4 Discussion

    Posted

    On 7/20/2021 at 11:12 PM, Paul S said:

    limitation placed on control4 by Jandy is on the polling, as its now 15 minutes for idle polling and a minimum of 3 minutes between each poll when the pool controls are in use.

    see comment above on the polling limits.  Shouldn't much of an issue of you use c4 exclusively. Its only an issue of the Jandy interface is used (directly or through native programming) to change system state. 

    Should I stay or should I go?

    in General Control4 Discussion

    Posted

    22 minutes ago, Dunamivora said:

    If you want DIY, Control4 is not the solution you want. It is not a DIY solution, it is a professionally installed and maintained system.

    True, but Home Edition will allow DIYers to do tons for their own tweaking and updating and there are tons of people here and elsewhere who can assist through remote programming for the changes you can't do with HE.  So in the end, it is decently DIY friendly. 

    Replacing depends on your budget.  You could simply upgrade the controller to an EA3 and take over the system with your own HE account. See ow that goes for a while and then decide.  You can always sell the EA3 if you decide its not for you.  This will solve many of the issues you listed. 

    You also should not need to switch breakers after an outage.  Just reboot your router and then the controller.  Everything else will come back up fully once the ZigBee network reconnects. 

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